How Chronic Stress & Isolation Affect Your Heart

Disclaimer: Not Medical Advice. Opinions are my own.

In partnership with ​Function Health

Today's newsletter at a glance:

• Hidden Risk Factors

• Good vs. Bad Stress

• Can You Die From a Broken Heart?

• The Loneliness Epidemic

We spend the majority of our time covering the obvious risk factors for heart disease: smoking, obesity, type 2 diabetes, etc.

The tangible risk factors, if you will.

But we are ignoring the mental variables that play a significant role in your overall physiology.

Stress, emotions, and loneliness can have a negative impact on the heart, potentially more significant than you think.

In today's newsletter edition, we will discuss how these can increase your risk of a heart attack and stroke.

Good vs. Bad Stress

For many, the word "stress" evokes negativity.

Not all stress is bad.

Engaging in activities like running and weightlifting can be a physical stressor that improves your health.

Reading, studying, and processing constructive feedback all require a level of effort, which in turn improves cognitive performance.

I would argue our society lacks 'good' stress.

The stress you want to avoid, manage, or be aware of is chronic emotional stress.

It feels like you can't get your head above water because you are drowning.

Chronic stress compounded over years can be dangerous.

Personally, I'm an example of this. My occupation is associated with a significant amount of daily stress.

Chronic stress takes a toll on your sleep, your happiness, and your ability to be present.

Reflect on your life - what areas consistently bring you the most stress?

Take 2 minutes and write down 2-3 things you can do this week to address areas of stress in your life.

Can You Die From a Broken Heart?

An extreme example that displays the power of emotions, grief, and stress on the heart is a syndrome referred to as Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome.

Patients present at the catheterization lab with all the symptoms pointing towards a heart attack; however, when the dye study is performed, there are no blockages in the heart arteries.

How is this possible?

Following a traumatic event such as the death of a loved one, financial collapse, extreme stress, etc., (although not totally understood), it appears that a surge of stress hormones causes the heart to lose its ability to pump properly.

Women are more prone to experiencing broken heart syndrome than men, but interestingly, men have a higher chance of dying from it.

Typically, with time, rest, and occasionally medication, most patients recover to their normal state.

I share this syndrome with you to highlight how interconnected our brains, emotions, and hearts truly are.

The Loneliness Epidemic

Technology, social media, and the internet have made us more connected than ever; yet, loneliness and isolation are at an all-time high.

We are social creatures.

We require connection, interaction, and a sense of community.

The reality is that many of us spend our days at school/work experiencing life through screens, and then come home to continue indulging in screen time.

Working from home can further blur the lines.

Ironically, we are more connected and more isolated than ever.

​When we look at the data, individuals who experience loneliness have a 15-30% increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those who are not lonely, even after adjustment for risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and socioeconomic status.

To put this into perspective, ​that is a similar risk profile to light smoking and physical inactivity.​

The Bottom Line

Mental health matters.

The data show that chronic stress and loneliness are independent risk factors that can negatively impact your heart.

Most of the spotlight highlights the conventional risk factors like smoking, hypertension, and diabetes, but your mental and social health shouldn't be ignored.

Call that friend, spend time with loved ones, write a letter, prioritize connection.

Go for a walk, listen to music, meditate - find what de-stressors work best for you.

Investing in your mental health should be as important as your exercise routine, sleep hygiene, and diet program.

If You Don't Test, You Don't Know

True health ownership starts with knowledge.

Understanding which biomarkers are in range or, more importantly, out of range will help you personalize and create your own instruction manual.

​Function Health​ is an all-in-one health platform that starts with 100+ lab tests, including your heart, hormones, liver, kidneys, thyroid, autoimmunity, cancer signals, toxins, and overall nutrients.

Function provides five times more bloodwork testing than standard primary care labs, which would cost you thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Function makes scheduling at 2,000 locations across the USA convenient and straightforward, with lab visits averaging only 15 minutes.

Once your results are in, you will receive a comprehensive summary written by Function's Clinical Team. Clinicians call you promptly if any urgent results arise.

After seeing your biomarkers and Function's insightful recommendations, you will have the confidence to take action and retest in the future to track your progress.

Join hundreds of thousands, including me, who use Function to take control of their health. ​Click here to get a $100 credit when you sign up for Function.​

Only the best,

Jeremy London, MD

P.S. Don't forget to follow my podcast for free on ​Spotify​ or ​Apple Podcasts